The present invention relates generally to a combination dice and roulette-type gambling game, and more particularly, is directed to a combination dice and roulette-type gambling game that provides more variations in play and in wagering.
In a conventional roulette game, there is a rotatable roulette wheel that has numbered pockets with numbers "1" through "36", "0" and "00" therein. The pockets with numbers "0" and "00" give the house or dealer an advantage of 5.26%. Each pocket is separated from its neighbors by metal dividers. Half of the 36 numbers are black while the other half are red. The pockets containing the numbers "0" and "00" are green. The numbers are not in consecutive order, but rather, are in random order, with red and black numbers alternating, except when broken up by "0" and "00".
There are numerous possible wagers that can be made, which are paid off at different odds. For example, for even money, that is 1:1 pay off, there are wagers on odd numbers, even numbers, red numbers, black numbers, a range of low numbers "1" through "18" and a range of high numbers "19" through "36". For higher odds, such as 35:1, a player can wager on a single number, while wagers on two numbers pay off at 17:1; wagers on three numbers pay off at 11:1; wagers on four numbers pay off at 8:1; wagers on five numbers pay off at 6:1; wagers on six numbers pay off at 5:1; wagers on dozens, such as "1" through "12", "13" through "24" or "25" through "36" pay off at 2:1, as would wagers on one of the three columns of numbers.
However, gambling with a roulette wheel by itself can become boring or tiresome over time. In the first place, there is only one item moving at a time, namely, the ball about the wheel. Second, the players have no input into the chance outcome, since the dealer spins the wheel. Thus, the players can only wager on the above discussed combinations. Third, although there is some variation in the types of wagers that can be made, the types of wagers are still somewhat limited. As a result, the players can become easily bored after a short time, and retire from the game, which is undesirable to the casino.
The same comments apply to other roulette-type games, such as wheel of fortune games in casinos, in which the dealer spins a wheel having arcuate segments thereon, and a flexible pointer is provided to eventually stop the wheel and point to a particular segment having a monetary amount listed thereon. Such games are even less interesting, since there is no color aspect thereto.
The use of dice in a gambling game is known from the game of craps. In craps, there is a table with betting areas thereon, and two dice, each having numbers "1" through "6" thereon. With craps, the probability of rolling different number combinations varies. For example, the probability of rolling a number combination "7" is greater than rolling a number combination "4".
In craps, each of the number combinations "2", "3" and "12" is termed "craps", and is a loser. Each of the number combinations "7" and "11" is termed a "natural" and is a winner. The remaining number combinations are termed "point-numbers" and must be repeated before a number combination "7" is rolled, in order to win. Thus, the number combination "7" can be a winning combination if thrown on a first roll, and a losing combination if not thrown on a first roll. The player or shooter loses the dice to another player or shooter only when the first player throws a "seven-out", that is, the player throws a number combination "7" before repeating a first thrown number combination "4" through "6" or "8" through "10".
Various wagers can be made in craps. For example, there is an area called a "pass line". When bets are placed in this area, the players are wagering that the shooter will throw a repeat number combination before the number combination "7". Since the probability of throwing a number combination "7" is greater than other number combinations, it is best to wager on the "come-out" roll since the number combination "7" is then a winning combination. The house or dealer has a 1.41 percent advantage overall considering the come-out and point-numbers.
There are also odds bets. This depends on the different probabilities of throwing numbers. For example, the probability of throwing a number combination "7" is 5:1; of repeating a number combination "6" or "8" before throwing a number combination "7" is 6:5; of repeating a number combination "5" or "9" before throwing a number combination "7" is 3:2; of repeating a number combination "4" or "10" before throwing a number combination "7" is 2:1. Odds bets are paid off on the actual probabilities.
Other wagers are also possible. However, because of the different wagers and probabilities, the game of craps becomes relatively complicated to play. A casual observer in a casino, who knows little about casino games, would determine that craps is the most complicated and difficult to learn, game. This is because, unlike roulette, the table layout looks complicated, and there are so many different types of complicated bets, resulting in much confusion. For example, sometimes the number "7" wins and sometimes it does not.
However, unlike roulette, craps or dice tables bring out the emotions of the players more than other gambling games. This is because there is a certain camaraderie among the players, which does not occur with roulette.
Various games have been proposed which use some of the aspects of a craps game and some of the aspects of a roulette or roulette-type game, but no combination thereof.
For Example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,247,114 to Carroll disclose a board game similar to craps and which uses three dice, one a red color, one a green color and the last a white color. The players can wager on a particular number of a particular die, odd or even numbers, etc. However, there is no input by the dealer as in roulette or wheel of fortune games, and the wagering of this game can be complicated in the manner of a craps game.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,559 to Page discloses a casino dice game which uses six dice, including three larger size dice and three smaller size dice, each with numbers "1" through "6" thereon, and each having a single color, for example, there may be two red, two blue and two white dice. Betting can be based on different combinations of colors as shown in Table 3 in column 7 of the patent. However, this game is also relatively complicated from a wagering standpoint, and there is again no input by the dealer as in roulette or wheel of fortune games.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,900 to Lamlee discloses a game board with dice having opposite faces colored the same and the different faces are numbered as well from "1" through "6". This game includes three concentric rings on the game board for placing different wagers from rolls of the dice. Thus, for example, the outer ring includes areas in which the colors can be bet, while the inner rings include areas in which the numbers can be bet. However, there is again no input by the dealer as in roulette or wheel of fortune games, and the board and wagering arrangement is relatively complicated.
U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 106,967 shows a combination game board and apparatus in which a roulette wheel is provided with different numbers and colors that can be bet, including even numbers, odd numbers, ranges of numbers, particular numbers and different color combinations. However, this only corresponds to a conventional roulette wheel in which there is no input by the players, except for the wagering.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,253,787 to Kelly discloses a game which uses an inner ring and an outer ring, both concentrically surrounding a stationary central area on the game board. There are numbers "1" through "6" in the stationary central area, each number corresponding to six segments on each inner and outer ring. There are also individual game boards and dice having numbers thereon. The first die has one color, for example, red, and the second die has another color. In use, the user throws the dice. The user then locates the segmented area on the inner ring corresponding to the stationary number in the central area, in response to the number on the first die. The user then locates the particular number from the six segment area of the inner ring based on the number on the second die, and reads the directions on the outer ring as to what action to take, for example, "Draw 20,000." However, this is a board game only, and the determination of an outcome is only made by the player from the roll of the dice. The inner and outer rings are set in advance, and are not rotated during the throw of the dice. Further, the colors on the dice are not used for any purpose, except to associate with the inner and outer rings.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,919 to Carpenter discloses a game including three dice, each having a different color, and each having six sides. The player makes a wager, and then throws the three dice. If any of the combinations in column 2 of the patent occur, the player wins. The player also previously placed three cards having symbols thereon face down, so that only the player knows what it is on the cards. After the player rolls the dice, he can bet additional money to try to bluff the other players to believe that the roll of the dice matches the three cards. However, there is no roulette wheel or wheel of fortune, and there is no input by the dealer. Also, the wagering can be relatively complicated.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,728 to Thompson discloses a poker game using a roulette wheel. The roulette wheel is spun, and a card corresponding to the item on the roulette wheel is selected and placed on the playing table. Thus, the roulette wheel is merely a way of selecting cards for display. Wagers can be placed on groups of cards or poker hands.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,665 to Klamer discloses a rotatable game including a center rotatable wheel with outer discs having different colors and a plurality of numbers thereon. However, there are no dice, and the game is relatively complicated to play.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,596 to Hobert discloses a craps or dice game and which further provides a super jackpot. A player must match the numbers of the super jackpot to win the super jackpot. The game, however, is a craps game only. The super jackpot can be selected by computer or mechanical arrangements, such as a roulette wheel.